


Security Blanket

by Krank



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Drabble, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-26
Updated: 2014-06-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 07:28:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1849564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krank/pseuds/Krank
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>There’s nothing like a little company when you’re laid up with a knee injury.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Security Blanket

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not trying to make light of what happened to Niall on stage because I’m sure it’s quite serious but if the past has shown me one thing, it’s that Narry makes everything better.

The room was almost completely dark save for a single lamp on a table in the corner that had been left on in the shuffle of Basil hovering by his side, his physical therapist and a doctor fussing over him, and the member of management that had swung by briefly. Everyone had finally left, though, and it seemed the light was going to stay on, because Niall could hardly maneuver himself to go and shut it off.

He wondered how long it would take for the glow to drive him crazy.

He was bored of his phone, which was charging on the bedside table. His Twitter had blown up with well-wishes mixed with confused questions and angry outbursts from fans. It took situations like that to really show how many different types of people there were in the world. The majority of the tweets were apologetic and sympathetic, which made him feel a fraction better.

Just as he was contemplating whether or not he could break the lamp by chucking things at it, there was a soft knock on his hotel room door.

“Yeah?” He called.

_“It’s me.”_

Niall felt a little bubble of warmth in his chest as he heard the familiar voice. He called for Harry to enter, which he did with a key card he’d no doubt bribed someone for. It was hardly a new thing, him visiting Niall in hotel rooms late at night, so he doubted it was that much of a challenge. Plus, Harry could charm anyone, Niall knew that first hand.

“How are you feeling?” The gangly boy asked, holding the door handle to stop it from shutting too loudly. He made to cross the room towards the bed when Niall held up a hand. “What?”

“The light,” Niall croaked, clearing a lump in his throat. “Turn that thing off, will ya?”

Harry obliged and the room was plunged in to darkness, which was a welcome relief. Niall hadn’t quite thought it through, though, because a few bumps and stumbles later, Harry had made it over to his bedside. “Sorry,” Niall shrugged. “I forgot how clumsy you are in broad daylight, let alone in complete darkness.”

“Hey,” Harry whined, and Niall could hear the sound of his boots being flung across the floor. There was the jingling sound of a belt buckle and the soft sounds of fabric hitting the carpet.

“Oh, sure, just make yourself at home! Get naked, it’s no problem,” Niall teased, trying to shift himself over on the mattress so there was a bit more room beside him. He knew Harry would manage, but he himself didn’t want to be any more uncomfortable than he already was. He was stuck laying on his back with his left leg elevated on some pillows. It would help keep the swelling down, though he was regularly a side-sleeper.

“You like me naked.” Niall could hear the grin in Harry’s voice, and seconds later felt the bed sink under his weight. Despite his joking, Harry had kept his boxer-briefs on, which was a small miracle in itself. Niall wasn’t sure he was up for the usual distraction that was Harold Jr.

It took Harry a moment to situate himself, being the fussy overgrown child that he was. He could fall asleep anywhere, but when it came to sleeping or cuddling with Niall it turned in to some sort of _process_.

At one point during Harry’s shifting and wiggling, however, he accidentally bumped Niall’s knee. “Oh shit!”

Niall bit his lip and breathed out slowly as the pain radiated through him with a dull roar. He had taken some pills, though they weren’t helping nearly as much as he would have liked. “It’s… It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not!” Harry exclaimed, his hand suddenly landing on Niall’s stomach. It travelled down to his hip and then to his thigh, coming to rest just above the scar from his surgery. His hand was warm, and had a comforting weight to it. He then felt Harry’s head hit the pillow beside him and his breath flutter over the skin of his shoulder, the brunette pressing a kiss to his collar bone. “I don’t know why I bother trying, I’m not the least bit delicate.”

Niall pondered for a moment as Harry’s hand smoothed circles over his leg. “You’re right. How does that saying go? You’re like a bull in a china shop!”

He heard Harry huff and he chuckled, letting silence settle over them after. He let his mind mull over how much better he felt just having Harry next to him.

When he’d first gotten hurt, on stage in front of thousands, he’d panicked. In the heat of the moment he’d felt like he might collapse, his knee throbbing something terrible and the hot flush of nausea sweeping over him. He glanced around, taking deep breaths and trying to put a bit of his weight on it, testing it out to make sure it would keep him vertical. The rest of the boys hadn’t taken any notice of the incident. The stage was too large, and the sounds were too loud. So many things were happening all at once and Niall felt alone in a packed stadium.

There had been no time to fuss over him, no time to take a second or find some help. Niall knew he needed to keep moving, needed to keep giving the people what they wanted and carry on as best he could. He let the boys keep on with their monologues and hobbled around, trying not to bring up any of the food he’d eaten for dinner that night.

It was hard, and he had wanted so badly to be carted off somewhere else, but then Harry had come to his side, finally realizing that something wasn’t quite right, and everything after that became marginally better. He felt Harry’s solid body press in to his side, and his strong arm wrap around his back as he helped him up the ramp and in return Niall clutched Harry’s shoulder like a lifeline.

“You said on Twitter that you’re scared.”

Niall snapped out of his thoughts, turning his head in Harry’s direction. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness and he could just make out the outline of his face. “Hmm?”

“You’re scared about your knee. Is that true?” Harry’s voice was quiet and deep, with just a hint of sleepy in it.

Niall nodded. “Of course it’s true. I’ve been scared about my knee since I injured it when I was young! When it just never got better, I started thinking all of these terrible things… I’ve had the surgery now and it still terrifies me.”

“You’re still healing, though. It takes time but you’ll be strong again.” Harry’s hand had since stopped it’s soothing circles on Niall’s leg, though he picked up from where he left off.

“Knees are sensitive, they are important… What if I’m never one hundred percent again? What if I just keep hurting it, and sooner or later I can’t even walk properly?” Niall asked all the questions that were constantly swimming around in his brain.

Harry paused for a moment while he thought. “Hmm,” he mumbled. “I suppose we’d have to get you a wheelchair, wouldn’t we? You’d never have a shortage of people wanting to wheel you around… Though Louis could potential cause more damage with all that power over you.”

“Harry…” Niall sighed, though the boy beside him continued.

“Or we could get you a really sick cane! Not some old grandpa cane, but like, a mobster sort of cane! Made of bone with one of those silver skull heads emblazoned on the top. You’d look pretty mean, I bet.”

As soon as the image was in Niall’s head, he began to laugh. “You little fucker!” He wheezed, giving Harry an elbow to the ribs. “This isn’t funny at all! And nice try but I’m about as mean looking as an angry kitten.”

“Well it got you smiling again, didn’t it?” Harry replied, removing his hand from Niall’s leg and sliding his arm around his waist instead, pulling him closer as carefully as he could.

“It did,” Niall agreed, settling down in to Harry’s arms. One of the many things he loved about Harry was his smell. He often wore nice-smelling cologne or after shave (so he said), but even without all of that he still smelled amazing. To Niall it smelled like home.

“I was scared, too, you know,” Harry said suddenly, pressing kisses on to his shoulder.

“What? Why?” Niall asked.

“Because I’m allowed to be! When I looked over at you and saw you limping… I panicked.”

“Then you swooped in to save me!” Niall grinned, feeling that warmth in his chest again like before.

He felt Harry shrug against him. “Well, if you call lending you a shoulder ‘saving’ you… then I suppose I’m a regular everyday superhero.”

Niall laughed and leaned in for a kiss, making a little noise in his throat when his wish was granted. Kisses were _lovely_.

Harry pulled away first with a rather stern look on his face. “Alright, no more funny business! I need you asleep and getting some rest.”

“Oh, I love it when you take control,” Niall teased, pulling the covers up over his wonky knee.

Harry smirked, getting settled under the covers as well. “Well then get that knee better so I can do it the right way.”


End file.
